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March 17, 2009

Charlie and Hurley are going through Sawyers stash. {Note we see Charlie in the mirror. Dharma food and wine, Watership Down and other books, Brezza cigarettes.} Hurley doesn't really know about this going through Sawyers tent and ransacking his "stash" bit.
Charlie tells Hurley, "See, you're looking at this all wrong. He would want us to do this."
Hurley-"...Yeah, that sounds exactly like Sawyer."

Charlie goes on to say how Sawyer stole all that stuff in the first place. After all, people need food, medical supplies and shocking amounts of pornography. {Note cover Playpen} Desmondo heads over to join the guys. Hurley asks him if they found Eko.
Desmond-"I need you come with me. Both of you."
Desmond leads them out to the jungle to meet up with Locke and Sayid. Locke informs them Eko is dead.
Sayid- "We found his body in the jungle. Buried him yesterday."
Charlie asks how he died. Locke and Sayid look at each other then Locke reveals "The Island killed him."
Charlie wants to know what does it mean...the island killed him.
Locke-"You know what it means." {Charlie knows what that means?! WOW!}

Desmond looks distracted, almost like he's thinking or even remembering. Locke goes on to say "With the doctor gone the camps on edge enough without people having to worry about what's out here in the jungle. They're gonna look to you two to see how to react. So when I tell everyone what happened... I need you two to keep things calm."

Hurley notices Desmond is distracted; Desmond is looking around.
Hurley asks, "Hey guys. What's wrong with Desmond?" All of a sudden Desmond takes off running and they run after him.

Desmond takes his shirt and shoes off and dives into the water. Charlie notices that Sun is with Aaron, which indicates Claire went for a walk.

Desmond retrieves drowning Claire from the water. Charlie runs up to the water's edge; he's freaking out! Desmond forcefully tells him, "Get back Charlie. I know what I'm doing."
Charlie's freaking-"She breathing? She's not breathing?"
Desmond revives her! {Yeah!} Charlie is happy. Desmond literally pushes Charlie out of the way and carries Claire to her tent. Charlie wants to know how he knew she was drowning.
Hurley- "I'll tell you how he knew. That guy. He sees the future, Dude."

Desmond sits on the beach looking at the photo of him and Penny. Claire comes over and sees the pic and comments, "She's beautiful."
Desmond tells Claire her name is "Penny…Penelope."
Claire admits she's still shaken up from her near drowning, "I go swimming almost every day. The undertow just grabbed me. If you hadn't…"
Charlie walks over with the baby, "Claire, I thought you were only gonna be 5 minutes. Aaron's starving." He gives Desmond a nod.
Claire goes on to say "Thank you for being there" to Desmond.

Charlie and Hurley walk through the camp. Hurley tells Charlie that Locke doesn't know about anything except knives and fishing.
Charlie-"There's nothing to know. I don't buy the pre-cognitive insanity rubbish. If the bearded wonder could predict the future he wouldn't have ended up here, would he?" {Are they both talking about the same guy or not?}

Inside Sawyers tent with the stash, Charlie says they are gonna have to find out what happened to Desmond.
Smart Hurley says, "You do realize he's gonna know your plan before you even come up with it, dude."
Charlie-"In that case were gonna have to get him really bloody drunk."
He picks up the bottle of MacCutcheon. {In Sawyers stash! Who does it belong to?}

Charlie and Hurley approach Desmond who is busy on the beach getting ready to build a fire. Hurley prompts Charlie to "Say it, Dude."
Charlie takes the bait and says to Desmond, "This morning, I'm sorry I wasn't more grateful. Thank you for helping Claire not drown."
Desmond-"No harm done."
Charlie brought a peace offering to make the truce official. He takes out the bottle of liquor. Desmond declines the offer as he's spent a wee bit too much time drunk as of late.
Charlie's insulted, "Too good for us, brother?"
Charlie takes his drink says they'll go somewhere else. Desmond wants to know "what kind of whiskey is that?"
Charlie-"MacCutcheon."
Desmond is amused and yes, he will have it! Charlie offers him a mug/cup...But a cup or a mug won't do...
Desmond-"The bottle, brother. If you've come here to drink. Then let’s drink."
Desmond takes the bottle, pulls the cork out with his teeth and takes one hell of a swig! "Cheers!"

At night the three drunk wise men are singing about a one legged chick, like there's no tomorrow.
Hurley-"Song about drinking and fighting and girls with one leg"
Desmond and Charlie simultaneously say "One leg and a heart of gold." {It's my opinion that Charlie is way less drunk than the other two guys. The bottle's label is torn up.}
Charlie being very serious and "sober" asks Des, "How did you know Claire was drowning?" Drunk Desmond says he can hear her calling for help.
Hurley-"No, You were like a mile away."
Des-"I suppose I've got good hearing."
Charlie asks he heard the lighteningas well. Desmond looks confused.
Charlie-"Just by chance you pitch your little rod outside Claire's tent. Two hours later lightening strikes."

Desmond gets up and thanks him for the drink; drops the bottle at Charlie and walks away. Charlie wants to know what Des is doing.
Charlie-"You think because you turned some key that makes you a hero? You're no hero brother. I don't know how it is what you're doing. But I know a coward when I see one."

Desmond tackles Charlie and yells at him, "You don't want to know what happened to me when I turned that key. You don't want to know."Beeping Alarm. The countdown clock shows 1 second, then 00000 and it turns tored and black. We hear System Failure. Des takes a key out of a book that was hidden behind other books. He runs into the computer room where Locke is hanging out waiting to see what happens next. Des pushes a computer out of the way to reveal a 'hidden hatch'.

Desmond tells Locke, "See you in another life brother" and heads down below.
Stuff is flying everywhere in the Swan hatch.

Down below Desmond lifts up the "Caution System Termination" lid. He crosses himself, says I love you Penny and turns the key.Literally, his life 'Flashes' before his eyes.
Eye:
Desmond is clean shaven and laying on a wood floor. There is red paint spilled all over. {He is wearing a jumpsuit similar to DHARMA.} He's waking up. Things/vision are blurry. Penny runs and gets ice. {Paint can FUTU…Also note that Desmond is a shitty painter!} Desmond had red paint across his neck. He wants to know what's happening.

Penny- "Well, what's happening is the result of combining ladders, painting the ceiling and alcohol."

He looks around, things still a bit blurry; then clear. {There are things that could be representative of the island. It looks like 2 sets of stacked coins on the table, fish, boxes marked CD'S, PHOTOS.} This is his flat. Penny tells him if he wants her to feel more at home he might start calling it our flat.

Penny checks out Desmond by holding up three fingers and asks how many. {Note how she does this}

Des is happy. He kisses/hugs her, but he looks confused.

Desmond is standing in front of the mirror putting on a tie. The clock displays 108; he looks puzzled. {Familiar}

Penny comes from behind to help him with the tie. We see her reflection too. {Song ‘Building a Mystery’ in the background.} She tells him he has paint on his neck.
Pen-"How's that concussion?"
Desmond-"A severe head injury is a small price to pay for the pleasure of having you move into my humble…is rat trap accurate?"
Penny-"No."
Desmond is going to meet her father. She tells him he "really don't need a job from my father, Des."
Desmond- "It's not about the job. I want him to respect me.”
Penny- "And respect you he shall. But if for some reason he's too daft to see how brilliant you are, it’s not the end of the world."
All of a sudden Desmond hearsthe familiar sound of the "Island" computer beeping. He runs into the kitchen and looks at the microwave. Onto top the microwave are three bottles, a pitcher, a can of chicken broth and two spices {I think}. Penny takes a cup of containers of coffee out of the microwave. She sees he looks confused. He reveals he's had a bit of Déjà vu!

Desmond walks into a large building and tells the lady at the reception counter that he's Desmond Hume, to see Mr. Widmore. A delivery man tells the receptionist he has a parcel for 815. This too confuses Desmond. He has a "Flash" of the computer and countdown clock in the hatch. {Flash within a Flash} The receptionist informs Desmond "Mr. Widmore is ready for you."

Desmond is in Widmore's office. On Desmond's right are a table with liquor and two lamps on it; it's set up like a bar. There's a replica of Widmore's sailboat, and to Desmond's left is a large painting. Desmond is sitting across from Widmore who is reading files on his desk. Des sees the large painting of the polar bear, Namaste now on his right and mirror image.Desmond looks at it {Knowing it's out of place, perhaps?}

Widmore looks over his Resume. "You didn't tell me you were an actor, Desmond."
Desmond- "No. It's actually set design. For the Royal Shakespeare Company."Note the table is back on his right side. We learn he didn't graduate from university as he had to look after his three brothers after his father died. He does not have any military experience either.

Desmond compliments Widmore's boat. {Replica} Widmore shares his foundation is sponsoring a solo race around the world. All of a sudden Desmond has "Flashes" of Libby's boat, landing at the island, Kelvin. {Flash within a Flash}

Widmore acknowledges Desmond being distracted for a second. Then tells him he will see to it that he has a position in their administrative department. It's not the most glamorous duty, but it's a start. He'll speak to Human Resources.
Desmond admits to Widmore he didn't go there to interview for a position in the company, but to ask for his daughters hand in marriage. They've been together two years, Pen's moving in and I love her. "Your permission would mean everything to me."

Widmore is impressed; it's a noblegesture. He asks Desmond if he knows anything about whiskey. He introduces him to the 60 year old MacCutcheon. It's named after Anderson MacCutcheon, esteemed admiral from the Royal Navy. He retired with more medals than any many before or since. {He takes 2 glasses and the bottle over to his desk.} "Moved to the highlands to see out his remaining years. He was a great man. The whiskey is his crowning achievement."
Widmore pours a shot into one glass only. "This swallow is more than you can make in a month...To share it with you would be a waste. And a disgrace to the great man who made it. Because you, Hume. Will never be a great man." He goes on to say he's not worthy of drinking his whiskey, so he can't be worthy of his daughter.

Outside the building Desmond throws his tie on the ground in frustration. He turns around and there's Charlie playing guitar on the street corner. {The song Wonderwall} Desmond realizes he knows him. Charlie's handmade sign says "Musical Stylings of Charlie Hieronymus Pace Donations Accepted.”
Someone donates a 5-er. Charlie even comments to someone "You can leave your number if you want." {LOL!}
Desmond asks him how do I know you, "Where do I know you from?"
Charlie-"I don't know. But I'd remember if I could get some help."
Des has a Flash of the day of the implosion and Charlie. {FLASH within a FLASH}
{CHARLIE USES FORMAL NAME BUT DOESN'T USE CHARLES. Plus his name on the sign is pretty much the same color blue of his eyes.}
Desmond-"It was in the hatch, I remember seeing you. There was a computer. There was a button...We were on an island."
Charlie- “We are on an island, Mate. This is England."
Desmond gets a little frantic, "It was real! I remember!"
Charlie-"All right... This is why we don't do drugs."
Desmond-"No! I remember! This all happened before!"
Desmond starts to recall what he remembers already happening... "This happened today...This...He said I wasn't worthy, Then I took off my tie...I lost my tie...Penny said...Then it started to rain."
And yes, it started to rain. Desmond looks up.

We see a man talking about a woman's Thesis.
Donovan tells the woman, “Your thesis is a bit neat. Run the wild card part which is unpredictability. Run the same test 10 times, you'll get 10different outcomes. That's what makes life so wonderfully chaotic.”
Desmond runs in to speak to Donovan.
Donovan- ”Case in point. Who could have known that a drenched Scotchman would appear in this rotunda?"
Desmond needs to ask him what he knows about time travel.

In a pub the two mates sit over drinks.
Donovan asks, "Are you bloody insane?"
Desmond just wants to know if it's possible.
Donovan-"Which part? The island full of mysterious hatches or the computerwhich keeps the world from ending?"
Desmond is serious, "Forget you're my best mate, right? As a Physicist. Is it possible that I somehow managed to go back in time? I'm now living my life over again?"
Donovan laughs but Desmond doesn't think it's funny.
Donovan-"Penny's father berates you for not being a great man, Walla, you've dreamed a future where push a button to save the world."
Desmond insists these things are not in his head, "I remember things."
Donovan calls him on it and asks him what will happen next?
Desmond-"It doesn't work like that. Just bits and pieces."
Donovan-"How wonderfully convenient."
The song Make Your Own Kind Of Music comes on the jukebox. Like a light bulb goes on in Desmond's head he says, "I remember this night. Graybridge come back from two goals down in the final 2 minutes, win the game, it's a bloody miracle!"

He goes on to say what will happen next. {Note the game shows ads for Expose, Apollo Bars, Mr. Clucks chicken, Oceanic}... and JimmyLennon will come through that door and hit the bartender right in the head with a cricket bat 'cause he owes him money. "Watch!" Only those things don't happen. {Note cricket is a bug.}
Donovan- "There's no such thing as time travel, Des. From what I understand, true love can be just as unlikely. So, if you love Penny, stop messing about. And marry her."

Desmond enters his flat. Penny fell asleep reading a book in their bed; there's a glass of wine on the bedside table. She wakes up and remarks Des smells like the pub.
Des informs her he didn't get the job, "Your father was lovely. We just both agree that I wasn't exactly qualified."
She wants to celebrate that "fate has spared you a miserable existence under the employ of Widmore Industries". She wants to take him out tomorrow for lobsters on the pier; her treat. Desmond doesn't feel his failure to impress her father is reason to celebrate.
Penny says the occasion is "I love you."
Desmond-"Why do you love me?"
Penny- "Because you're a good man." Desmond gets emotional.
Penny tenderly holds his face and asks, "Des. Where are you?"
Desmond- "I'm right here."

Desmond is in an antique store checking out diamond rings. We see his reflection in the glass case. {There are vessels and; vases all over the place. Every shape and size. Clocks, watches, huge globe, stairs/steps.}

Miss Hawking asks Desmond, "Never done this before, Have you?"
Desmond-"Is it that obvious?"
Hawking-“I can always tell the first timers." {Hear the bell toll in the background.} He's not a man of means but she has just the thing for him. She shows him a from another ring case. {Clocks behind her.} "This won't blind any Queens to be sure. But still has the sparkle of life." {Marquise cut diamond.}
He'll take it!
Hawking-"No you won't. Give me the ring. Give it here."
Desmond doesn't understand. She goes on to explain this is wrong; he doesn't buy the ring,"You have second thoughts, you walk right out that door."
She wants the ring back. "You don't buy the ring, Desmond."

She not only knows his name but knows he doesn't ask Penny to marry; he breaks her heart. Breaking her heart is what drives him in a few short years to enter the sailing race to prove her father wrong. Which brings him to the island, where he spends the next three years of his life entering numbers into the computer, until he is forced to turn that fail safe key. "And if you don't do those things Desmond David Hume, every single one of us is dead. So give me that sodding ring." {Chimes in the background}.
Desmond-"Who are you?"
She nonchalantly asks if he likes chestnuts.

Outside, Miss Hawking buys a bag of chestnuts. She directs Desmond's attention to a man. "That man over there is wearing redshoes." {She’s wearing a circular dragon pin. Alchemy} She just thought it was a bold fashion choice worth noting.

Desmond-"This isn't really happening, is it?...I've had a concussion. You're my subconscious."
Hawking-"Am I?"
Desmond-"You're here to talk me out of marrying Penny."
He says it won't work but Hawking says it will.
Desmond-”There is no Island. There is no button. It's madness. I love her. She loves me. I 'm gonna spend the rest of my life with her."
Miss Hawking insists he won't.
A collapse at the construction site behind them kills a man with thered shoes. {We see more than one pair of red shoes at the site} Desmond realizes she knew that was going to happen and he's upset that she didn't do anything to stop it. Hawking goes on to explain it wouldn't matter if she warned the man his fate would still play out. "The universe unfortunately has a way of course correcting. That man was supposed to die. That was his path. Just as it's your pathto go to the island. You don't do it because you choose to, Desmond. You do it because you're supposed to."

Desmond is determined to meet Penny in an hour and give her the ring, "I can choose whatever I want."
Miss Hawking-"You may not like your path, Desmond. But pushing that button is the only truly great thing that you will ever do."
Determined Desmond asks, "How much for the ring?"
Hawking walks away from him.

Desmond stops in front of an Armed Forces Careers recruitment office. He looks at the two signs- The Royal Scots Honor Adventure {yes the word honor is misspelled!} Desmond touches his head;wondering/confused. He walks away from the building.
{Did Des realize the word was misspelled; giving him a clue he may be dreaming or in an altered state perhaps?}

Penny meets Desmond. {Big Ben! She's right on time.}
A photographer asks them, "Take your photo, lovebirds?"
They take a picture so they can show the grandkids. They choose a marina backdrop for the photo. {Palm trees.}
The photographer counts to two and snaps the photo. "Instant classic."
They purchase one photo for 5 quid {out of 20} "You're a lovely couple. Small price to pay for the memories. Right?"
Desmond stares at the photo, remembering, "I couldn't go through with it." {WOW! That's important! He remembered!}
He tells Penny he can't do this relationship. Penny gets upset. He gives her excuses for the break up. Penny tries to make him understand she chose to be with him.
But Desmond feels,"Love is not enough. Being a good man is not enough."
Penny's confused.
Desmond rambles, "This is all happening too soon. You're moving in. You're changing things. I don't even like red..."
She slaps him; tells him not to pretend that he doesn't care, "And don't you dare re-write history. I left my expensive flat because you were too proud to live there. Remember?.... Have the decency to admit you're doing this because you're a coward."
Desmond says he sorry, "We're not supposed to be together."
Penny walks away and Desmond throws the ring into the water! {We get a shot from under the water looking up. Amazing!}

Desmond is in the pub. We see the bottle of MacCutcheon next to a bottle of old scotch whiskey. He orders a pint of the cheapest; he's celebrating the biggest mistake of his life. The worst part is he's pretty sure he's made it before. The bartender calls it Déjà vu.
The song Make Your Own Kind Of Music comes on. {Jukebox is a Venus CD player} The football/soccer games ends with the win he told Donovan about. Desmond thinks he just got the day wrong, "I was right. I was off by a night. I heard the song and then, I remember this. I'm not crazy. I can still change things."

Jimmy Lennon comes in with his cricket bat wanting his money. Desmond tells the bartender to duck! Desmond gets hit with the bat and is knocked out!

Flash of Desmond turning the key.

Trees:
Desmond is waking up in the jungle; naked! His head hurts and there's blood on him. Yummy Naked Desmond runs through the jungle and comes upon the imploded hatch. He is upset. On the ground there are vinyl records and the picture of him and Penny.
Desmond pleads, "Please. Let me go back. Let me go back one more time. I'll do it right. I'll do it right this time. I'm sorry Penny. I'll change it. I'll change it." He cries.

Desmond with Claire; Charlie's voice asking how he knew Claire was drowning.
It is night with the three guys drinking MacCutcheon Whiskey.
Charlie- "You hear the lightening as well?" We see the golf club lightening rod.
Charlie continues, "Just by chance you pitch your little rod outside Claire's tent. Two hours later lightening strikes.”
We see the rain and lightening. Charlie calls him a coward.
Desmond tackles him. "You don't want to know what happened to me!"
Hurley breaks them up.Drunk and troubled Desmond is crying, "It doesn't matter what you do. You can't change it."
Hurley makes the crazy sign regarding Desmond's mental state. Charlie helps Desmond to his tent.

Desmond tells Charlie he's a good man and apologizes for trying to strangle him. {Des tried to kill him!}
Determined Charlie says, "Desmond, You are going to tell me what happened to you."
Desmond-"When I turned that key. My life flashed before my eyes. And then I was back in the jungle. Still on this bloody island. But those flashes, Charlie. Those flashes they didn't stop."
Charlie asks if that's how he knew to save Claire.
Desmond-"I wasn't saving Claire, Charlie. I was saving you."
He goes on to say it was Charlie who dove in to save Claire. Charlie looks confused by this statement. {Last we knew Charlie didn’t swim.}
He tells Charlie about the lightening, etc.. "The Universe has a way of course correcting. But I can't stop it forever... No matter what I try to do Charlie. You're gonna die."

Flashes Before Your Eyes is a Great Episode!!!!!

Things to note...Questions to ask...✈ Mirrors. Mirror image. Reflection. Reflect.✈ Head injury. In the head. Concussion. Drunk. Blurry vision. Confusion. Disorientation. Crazy. Insane. Forget. Memory. Deja Vu. Altered state. Dream. Wish. Game.✈ Ring. Rotunda. Circle. Loop. Do-over.✈ Desmond wears a DHARMA-like jumpsuit in his Flash✈ Penny tells him it's not the end of the world if her daddy doesn't respect him.✈ Was Desmond waiting for the delivery of flight 815? "A Parcel."✈ Things being out of place/wrong for Desmond. Such as the painting in Widmore's office on the right when it should be on the left. Mirror image of painting. The word honor misspelled in the recruitment poster.✈ Desmond worked in the theater doing set design. We was almost a doctor once and a priest/monk/brother. He did not graduate from university, so how would he have become a doctor?✈ Photo backdrop. Paint. Scene. Set. Theater. Re-write.✈ Are there clues to the comic book?✈ Clues to people, less one limb.✈ I can't let go of the beautiful shot from the under the water perspective when Desmond throws Penny's ring away.✈ Could Desmond just be having Flashes of Memory, Blended/blurred images of real and manipulated memory/experiences in Flashes? Maybe there's a "bug" in the system.✈ Did he physically time travel or was that a metaphor or a figure of speech?✈ EYES. EYES IN THE FLASHES!!! GO LOOK!✈ Images/things in Desmond's Flashes show ties to the "Island", other Islanders and their stories. Coincidence? HA!✈ Des was never supposed to marry Penny.✈ "That man was supposed to die."- Just as Charlie is supposed to.✈ Miss Hawkins did manage to talk Desmond into his role on the "Island". She conned him, manipulated him; told him that would be the only great thing he will ever do. To Desmond, that may be the great thing he wants/needs to prove Penny's father wrong.✈ "…every single one of us is dead"- Hawking. Is she speaking of the "Island" and the Others, perhaps?!✈ Have the decency to admit you're doing this because you're a coward." He's not breaking up with her because he's a coward. He's breaking up because he wants her and her father to know he did something great.✈ Did Desmond fail by not continuing to push the button? Now Widmore will never respect him.

Vocabulary and Research...✦ Chestnut is a genus of eight or nine species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the beech family Fagaceae, native to warm temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. Chestnut trees thrive on neutral and acidic soils, such as soils derived from granite, sandstone or schist. Chestnuts grown for nut production are grown in orchards.✦ Vases: In Buddhism- Known as a Treasure Vase or Bumpa: Representing inexhaustible treasure and wealth.✦Tinnitus can be perceived in one or both ears or in the head. It is usually described as a ringing noise, but in some patients it takes the form of a high pitched whining, buzzing, hissing, humming, or whistling sound, or as ticking, clicking, roaring, "crickets" or "tree frogs" or "locusts", tunes, songs, or beeping.✦Concussion: Latin concutere ("to shake violently"). Headache is the most common symptom. Other symptoms include dizziness, vomiting, nausea, lack of motor coordination, difficulty balancing, or other problems with movement or sensation. Visual symptoms include light sensitivity, seeing bright lights, blurred vision, and double vision. Tinnitus,or a ringing in the ears, is also commonly reported.✦ 108 Mala Beads: Buddhist mantra meditation counting beads.

We're going to explore two ways we can look at this episode. It will be a long lesson, so go grab a snack and a drink and meet me back here.
Well! What are you waiting for?!….

Okay, Desmond traveled back and forth through the time/space continuum. Huh??? How was only Desmond able to do this? Eko couldn't do it and Locke couldn't. Charlie didn't even take this "trip", only Desmond did. Interesting, huh? Please read through the items I researched as they may pertain to the story.
Let’s break down a few things.

* A pre-lucid dream is one in which the dreamer considers the question, "Am I asleep and dreaming?" He or she may or may not come to the correct conclusion. Such experiences are liable to occur to people who are deliberately cultivating lucid dreams, but may also occur spontaneously to those with no prior intention to achieve lucidity in dreams.
* A false awakening is an event in which someone dreams they have awakened from sleep. This illusion of having awakened is very convincing to the person. After a false awakening, people will usually dream of performing daily morning rituals, believing they have truly awakened. A dream in which a false awakening takes place is sometimes colloquially referred to as a "double dream", or a "dream within a dream" {OR MAYBE A FLASH WITHIN A FLASH? Hmm?!} Certain aspects of life may be dramatized, or out of place in false awakenings. Things may seem wrong, details, like the painting on a wall, not being able to talk or difficulty reading (reading in lucid dreams is often difficult or impossible). In some experiences, the human senses are heightened, or changed. For instance, one may be able to see things in greater detail, or lesser detail, or one may feel an intense burst of fear and anxiety, or possibly pleasure. And there are "time" issues. No "sense of time", etc.
* Some believe déjà vu is the memory of dreams. Though the majority of dreams are never remembered, a dreaming person can display activity in the areas of the brain that process long-term memory. It has been speculated that dreams read directly into long-term memory, bypassing short-term memory entirely. In this case, déjà vu might be a memory of a forgotten dream with elements in common with the current waking experience. This may be similar to another phenomenon known as déjà rêvé, or "already dreamed."
* FLASH- to be visible briefly. - A very short amount of time.
- The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book super heroes from the D C comic’s universe. - Flash Gordon, a comic hero and space traveler. - Flash Thompson, classmate of Peter Parker (Spider-Man)
- Thomas "Flash" Gordon played for the Boston Red Socks. I read a book by Stephen King called 'The girl who loved Tom Gordon'. Great book!
- In photography a flash is a device that produces an instantaneous flash of artificial light to help illuminate a scene.
- To expose one's naked body in public briefly. Of course Des woke up in jungle naked! Naked like when the Terminator time travels to L.A.. He's naked.
- To release the pressure from a pressurized vessel. Des turned the fail safe key.
* Anagram of Flash is the Plural form of half. Alternative spelling of halves.
* A flashback also is a similar recurrence of the effects of a hallucinogenic drug.
*A flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened prior to the story's primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial back story. In the opposite direction, a flash forward reveals events that will occur in the future.
- A sudden, short, temporary burst of light.
* Flash memory in computing is a re-writable memory chip that retains its data without a power supply.
* Flash of Insight: Zen Buddhism- A Koan is riddle-like puzzle used for teaching in Zen Buddhism. It cannot be solved by reason, but instead forces the student to solve it through a flash of insight.

I must bring up The Orchid, Station 6; although it doesn't have to do with this episode. Dr. Halliwax aka Candle aka Wickmund tells us about the "Island" and some sort of casimir effect. All three versions of this guy's name have to do with candles...Light. What the fuck is that about? Ahhhh! Oh well, that's a whole other part of the story!

Casimir Effect/Worm Holes…Time Travel:
Exotic matter with negative energy density is required to stabilize a wormhole. Morris, Thorne and Yurtsever pointed out that the quantum mechanics of the Casimir effect can be used to produce a locally mass-negative region of space-time, and suggested that negative effect could be used to stabilize a wormhole to allow faster than light travel. A similar analysis can be used to explain Hawking radiation that causes the slow “evaporation” of black holes (although this is generally visualized as the escape of one particle from a virtual particle-antiparticle pair, the other particle having been captured by the black hole).
In physics, Hawking radiation is a thermal radiation with a black body spectrum predicted to be emitted by black holes due to “quantum effects.”
A detailed study of the quantum geometry of a black hole horizon has been made using Loop quantum gravity.Loop quantum gravity (LQG), also known as loop gravity and quantum geometry, is a proposed quantum theory of space time which attempts to reconcile the seemingly incompatible theories of quantum mechanics and general relativity.Loop quantum gravity (LQG) is a proposed theory of space time which is constructed with the idea of space time quantization via the mathematically rigorous theory of loop quantization. It preserves many of the important features of general relativity, while at the same time employing quantization of both space and time at the Planck scale in the tradition of quantum mechanics.

Worm holes. Yes! A way to get from point A to point B via space! Okay, time travel... I more than anybody want to believe Desmond time traveled in this episode, but how did he do it? In a vessel? A fucking DeLorean? A winged Unicorn? Or telepathically? If the implosion catapulted him to "time travel" how did he manage to get back? Wouldn't something have to propel/bring him back?
Let’s not forget that he didn't change anything by this "journey". When he tried to intervene and got hit in the pub/bar and he woke up, that still didn't change anything/his path. Hawking insists he doesn't buy the ring, but Des does buy the ring. That didn't change anything either. Of course, if it IS "time travel" then he always would have bought the ring.

Hawking must be an Other. By her showing up in Desmond's other centric episode {Photo at the church.} that tells me she's probably a part of the "Island". But she is correct when she says the universe has a way of course correcting. By Desmond still trying to do a couple of things differently in his "Flashes", it didn't matter; It didn't change anything. He still ended up on the "Island" and without Penny; with a job he's told will save us. Nothing changed. This is what was to be, the universe wins.

Back to the whole lucid/waking dream/altered mind point. Desmond sits in Widmore's office with a table and liquor to his right side. Then in a 'flash' the image on his right is a mirror image of the giant painting that was on his left side (painting with polar bear, Namaste, etc.) Then in a "Flash" it's all back the original way. Next example is the army recruitment poster. Yes everyone found the misspelled word honor. We heard yet again this is a prop error. But let us not forget we learned that one of the ways a dreamer realizes he may be dreaming, but feels awake, is when things are out of place, words on signs are misspelled, things are backwards, wrong. ALSO there is no sense of time!

Could Desmond's "Flashes" be "Flashes" of real and manipulated memory coming out in a dream state or altered state of consciousness? Maybe, just maybe, when the hatch imploded he hit his friggin head and got a concussion!
What about Desmond knowing Charlie's fate over and over? Remember they are in a loop of sorts; doing things over, so maybe he's just remembering reoccurring go-rounds! I.e. Des knowing Locke would make a speech, or the lightening, and even Charlie dying. Was he seeing the future or just remembering the past in a 'flash'?

Donovan uses Desmond as the "Case in point" when explaining running a test over and over and using the wild card of unpredictability... and you will get different results.
If they've done all this before, let’s say, run the experiment 10 times, maybe Charlie really did die in those other horrible events in those other "times". Does the possibility exist that maybe the implosion gave Desmond the ability to "remember" and not time travel! By remembering what is about to come next he is able to intervene or even manipulate the situation; but that's only putting off the inevitable. But Charlie having to die is his "path", he is meant to die. Again, the "universe" wins.

Is time travel through space really happening here? It could be. We know there's a special way to get to the "Island". But what if travel to and from is via a tunnel to the mainland? Underwater perhaps? I'm just throwing ideas out there. We also assume time runs different on the "Island". It must, but I wonder how?!! Maybe there just is NO sense of time or purpose for time on the "Island". It keeps me up at night, wondering!!!
I have been hoping since before The Lost Experience ARG that we were going to find out more about the numbers. I wanted those numbers to be the mathematics equation to make time travel possible. It could be that we need Plutonium or Gigawatts (Jiggawatts) to make it happen! The purpose of the numbers may be being used in some other way, no pun intended. lol

So with two ways to look at this episode what did we really see here? Do I know what's going on? Hell No!
Time Travel or Flashes of insight/memories/Lucid/Waking Dreams and/or manipulated images? Maybe it's a bit of the latter. I wonder if there will be a Missing Piece Mobisode telling us more about naked Desmond in the jungle after the implosion?

Remember, I just present my research to you and you make your own decisions.

Flashes Before Your Eyes is just that...Desmond's life as he knows it, "Flashed" before his eyes.

Love to all who are "LOST" ™

Disclaimer: I never claim to know everything about the show and my thoughts by no means make me right! The things I share here are my views and/or opinions. I don't claim to catch every single detail either! You all know I hate spoilers! And I stand clear of reading certain sites as to not take me off my own course of research. The one thing I don't need to do here is rehash all of the obvious clues from an episode, we all know what they are. Understood? Good! Let the fun begin! I'll only note things that I know come up as clues later, but need to be noted when they first show up and things I find that will be of importance! It will get very exciting as we progress into the story.